Re the weight issue - grab your melways (or equivilant street directory) and look up your nearest public weighbridge. Most trucking yards or scrap metal yards will have one you can use for free (or a small nominal fee) that will give you an idea of what kind of weight your towing. Sounds like a larger car might be on the cards soon though ...

A place I'd rather be...Mitchel Road, Bomjinna. Central West Victoria (Jan '08)

OK so I think the foolproof option is more for us! We only really would use the 1 car to tow this I think.

Spoke to auto electrician and I think I successfully confused the poor man. Here's what I think might work for us.

1 x 100AH battery, think this will be mounted in a box in our boot, it can then be charged while we go out for the day etc. When we return we can remove it and plug it back into the fridge. I guess we need a smaller battery to run the fridge while we are out???The auto electrician said $190 to wire the car and $195 for a 100AH deep cycle battery.

Funny you should say that about the weighbridge, we were wondering if we were allowed to use it, there is one on the way up to Newcaslte I think.

The trailer was custom built, it's all aluminium so it's really light, I can push it around the yard. It's the stuff we have put in it!! Plus we worry a bit about the positioning of all the weighty things, we kind of try and keep it balanced.

Im interested in this topic because I am putting together a camping (not camper) trailer myself at the moment so I'm looking to change to lead acid batteries (200AH - $390) and a 240watt (3x80watt) solar setup (should provide more than enough power even on the more over cast days.)

A place I'd rather be...Mitchel Road, Bomjinna. Central West Victoria (Jan '08)

There was two for $390One was IBDs top of the line 100AH sealed unit (suitable for in cabin)the second was a 200AH lead acid battery - probably the option I will go for. Im not fussed about weight (the patrol actually goes better when dragging more weight because it loads the turbo sooner so it spools faster - unfortunately this has the adverse effect of using more fuel though).

Where are you putting the battery in the camper?The more centralised over the trailer axle the less you will notice the weight. Unfortunately you cant get a light weight battery - theres nothing available (nor do i think its possible) as all batteries use lead - more lead = more capacity = more weight. Seriously though 30kgs (typical weight of a 100AH battery) is only the weight of the average 7yr old. Its a one man lift.

Why is weight the big issue? is it because of towing capacity? fuel consumption? vehicles ability to climb hills with the additional weight?braking ability? does the trailer "push" the towing vehicle on decents? if so perhaps (electric)trailer brakes might be an option?Im assuming being a little 1.6L (petrol?) engine that its front wheel drive ?front wheel drives actually tow quite well typically and if its auto the torque multiplication done by the torque converter should allow it to pull like a steam train provided the wheels can sustain the traction. Obviously you can achive a similar result with a manual - but you'll have very little clutch left by the end of the trip LOL

Other than that the only thing i can suggest is stripping weight else where if you want to run the fridge you'll need a battery. Battery = weight. Its unavoidable unfortunately. Reading your earlier posts you talked about taking a camp oven. I hope your talking about a spun steel unit not a cast iron one?! a cast iron camp oven will weight nearly half the weight of the battery - and I know which I'd be leaving behind (as much as I love it) and it wouldnt be the fridge and battery!How much gas are you taking? not a 4.5 or 9kg bottle I hope? I take a 2kg bottle and that'll last me well over a week camping (I'd guess 2.5 weeks) - including using it for cooking and light.How much water are you taking - 1L water = 1kg. Now im not saying to skimp on water but work on 5L per person per day with no other water access. if you have access to other water ie a river or tank etc then look to cut that back to about 3L per person per day - 7 days 3 people = 63L. Most CTs have 80L water tanks so simply by filling it 3/4 instead of full you stave nearly 20kgsYou also spoke of taking a shower and shower tent. Personally I'd take the shower and leave the tent at home. You can shower out in the open in the bush - or if you want privacy a small tarp tied between a few trees does the trick and weighs bugger all or less.

What does your setup consist of? Obviously you have a camper trailer so your not lugging a tent what are the main "weight" items?

A place I'd rather be...Mitchel Road, Bomjinna. Central West Victoria (Jan '08)

I had a dual battery system installed in my Subaru Liberty for about $450 all up. I sourced a second hand 3yo 80 amp hour AGM battery that had been taken out of a UPS system and had the installation done for about $350 with an auto electrician. The battery sits in a battery box with two 12v ciggy sockets in the boot of the car and powers the fridge nicely for a couple of days before needing to turn on the engine to charge it up a bit. I don't think the guy I bought the battery off has been able to source any recently though.

Careful with used UPS batteries. Sometimes they are a bargin sometimes they are not.

I bought a few a few years back and they were brilliant. Later on a mate and I went in together and bought about 10 for a solar project. Only about 4 of the batteries were any good but because they were bought "as is" there was no warranty. As such we would have been better off buying 6 brand new batteries for the price we paid for the 10... Hind sight.

A place I'd rather be...Mitchel Road, Bomjinna. Central West Victoria (Jan '08)